WWE Announces Multi-Year Merchandise Deal With MLB

WWE and Major League Baseball have announced a new multi-year partnership to release MLB-inspired WWE Title replica belts and accessories.

The belts and accessories will feature the logos of all 30 MLB teams from around North America. The line will launch in 2022.

WWE touted how this is the first official licensing agreement for WWE Title replica belts between the company and one of the major United States sports leagues.

The new deal will see WWE and MLB collaborate to design and manufacture team-branded replica titles, and replica titles that celebrate some of MLB’s Jewel Events such as the World Series, the All-Star Game, and the Home Run Derby. There will also be custom side plates and unique Lucha Libre masks.

“At MLB we are constantly looking to serve our fans with the most unique products possible so that they can support their favorite Clubs and players in the ways they want,” said Denis Nolan, MLB Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Products. “We often see baseball fans and players bringing their MLB and WWE fandom together at games and online, so this is a natural development for us to work together and offer the highest quality, official co-branded items for fans around the world.”

WWE Senior Vice President of Direct-To-Consumer Products Kevin Moore added, “We’ve been continually amazed by the reaction to custom WWE Championship title belts, and we’re excited this partnership will allow us to make them widely available to fans.”

WWE has had a tradition of sending custom title belts to top athletes and championship sports teams, but this marks the first time these items will be available for fans. WWE created a custom title for the Los Angeles Dodgers to celebrate their 2020 World Series win, and did the same for the Washington Nationals in 2019.

Nick Khan On WWE Possibly Being Sold, Vince McMahon Stepping Down

WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan was on the latest episode of the Recode Media podcast with Peter Kafka. The two discussed WWE’s big media rights deals despite declining TV viewership across all of TV. Khan discussed that topic and explained why he doesn’t see advertisers moving away from TV anytime soon.

“I think you’ve seen it in primetime scripted television,” Khan stated. “When you and I were kids, and Archie Bunker did a 15 rating and made significant amount of money at that time for Norman Lear, and the studio and everybody behind it. Now you’re seeing shows in primetime that do a one in the demo, where significant dollars are paid for that.

“So 1/15 and again, the 15 million was the overall audience but even less than 1/15 of what the audience was 30 years ago, still commanding top dollar.  I’m not sure that you’ve seen a mechanism come across for advertisers yet that is as effective as television, and put the streaming component in there on the ad supported tiers, it feels like it’s going to be around at a high level for a long time.”

On the Q2 earnings call, Vince McMahon created headlines when he said that he did not see AEW as competition. Khan spoke on WWE’s competition and talked about where his focus lies.

“We had an earnings call a couple of weeks ago, and I referenced the recent Reed Hastings line about sleep is our competition.” Khan noted. “That’s the challenge for us is how do you get people to tune into our product, instead of just sitting there in their bed and texting all night, or watching Tik Tok for free, or doing nothing, or listening to a podcast.

“It’s always tricky. In essence, I personally as, an agent, as an executive, I never look at anybody as competition. I just focus on what I’m doing, but in the totality of circumstance, you have to look at everything as your competition, without a specific focus on any one entity. So we hope the NFL continues to get great ratings. We hope the NBA continues to great ratings. What does it have to do with us? We just have to make sure our product is great.”

Kafka later asked Khan whether he would takeover McMahon as WWE CEO. Khan gave his opinion on the topic of McMahon stepping down from WWE.

“I don’t think Vince has any plans, nor in my opinion, should he have stepping aside,” Khan said. “He’s 75, will be 76 in a couple of weeks. He’s healthy. He’s strong so maybe he goes another 50 years and you’ll be asking me this question in 49 years.”

WWE have continued to make different types of business deals, most recently with The Ringer and Spotify. Khan discussed the topic of whether or not WWE will sell in the next year.

“We’re open for business on anything and everything, and even some of the business plans that we’ve announced recently, I think, are different or unique to what the company has traditionally done,” Khan pointed out. “So we’re open for business. If somebody calls, we’ll listen, but we’re not active. We’re not out in the marketplace trying to change that structure.”

WWE Settles Various Lawsuits With Shareholders

WWE has settled a lawsuit that alledged it wasted corporate assets and made false statements, among other charges, with its shareholders.

The company had been facing several lawsuits; other claims alledged that the company failed to disclose unfavorable facts related to its stock, mislead investors, and permittted senior executives to sell over $282 million worth of shares at inflated prices.

The filing is as follows:

On August 16, 2021, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (the “Company”) reached an agreement in principle and signed a term sheet to settle the previously disclosed shareholder derivative actions titled (i) Merholz et al. v. McMahon et al., No. 3:20-cv-00557-VAB; (ii) Kooi v. McMahon et al., No. 3:20-cv-00743-VAB; (iii) Nordstrom v. McMahon et al., No. 3:20-cv-00904-VAB; (iv) Merholz/Jimenez v. McMahon et al., No. 3:21-cv-00789-VAB; (v) Rezendes v. McMahon et al., No. 3:21-cv-00793-VAB; and (vi) City of Pontiac Police and Fire Retirement System v. McMahon et al., No. 3:21-cv-00930-VAB, currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut (collectively, the “Derivative Actions”), as well as related lawsuits filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware titled (i) Leavy v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., No. 2020-0907-KSJM; (ii) Dastgir v. McMahon et al., No. 2021-0513-LWW; and (iii) Lowinger v. McMahon et al., No. 2021-0656-LWW (together with the Derivative Actions, the “Actions”).

Among other things, the plaintiffs in the Actions have alleged violations by certain current and former Company directors and officers related to disclosures concerning the Company’s business relationship in and with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and that certain of these defendants engaged in improper stock trading.

The proposed settlement would include, among other things, a full release of all defendants in connection with all allegations made in the Actions, and it would not contain any admission of liability or admission as to the validity or truth of any or all allegations or claims by the Company or any of the other defendants. The proposed settlement also would provide that the Company will implement and maintain certain corporate governance measures. As part of the settlement, the plaintiffs have indicated an intent to seek payment of their attorneys’ fees, reimbursement of expenses, and case contribution awards, which the proposed settlement provides would be paid by the Company’s insurance carriers. The proposed settlement remains subject to shareholder notice, court approval and other customary conditions. In the event that the parties are not able to cause all of these conditions to be satisfied, the Company and the other defendants intend to continue to vigorously defend against the claims asserted in the Actions.

Although the Company and the other defendants have denied, and continue to deny, all claims asserted by the plaintiffs in the Actions, the Company believes that resolving the Actions in accordance with the terms of the proposed settlement is the proper business decision and that it is prudent to end the protracted and uncertain derivative litigation process on the terms of the proposed settlement.

One-of-One Vince McMahon T-Shirt And Signed Billion Dollar Bill Part Of New Auction Partnership Between WWE And Goldin

WWE and Goldin are giving fans the chance at bidding on some truly one-of-a-kind items, including a “Billion Dollar Bill” signed by Vince McMahon himself!

Goldin, the leading marketplace for trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia, and WWE have partnered for a new memorabilia auction that starts today. The auction includes a billion-dollar bill featuring and signed by Vince McMahon, a 1-of-1 “Billionaire Bucks” t-shirt, as well as seven unique SummerSlam memorabilia items, a chance to tour the WWE Warehouse with Triple H and a WrestleMania meet-and-greet with The Undertaker.

“We are honored to be working with WWE for our first-ever auction featuring fan experiences,” said Ross Hoffman, CEO of Goldin. “WWE has built a brand that is constantly innovating and providing the best to their fans, and we could not be more proud to help provide a new way to engage with their passionate fans. And what better way to do so than to offer experiences with storied WWE Legends Triple H and The Undertaker!”

“Goldin is a clear industry leader, and we believe this is an incredible opportunity to give fans a chance to own a unique piece of SummerSlam history,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development.

The autographed billion-dollar bill and “Billionaire Bucks” t-shirt were created specifically for this auction. An additional unsigned bill and “Billionaire Bucks” t-shirt will be available for auction in-venue at SummerSlam in Las Vegas this Saturday, August 21.

The seven WWE SummerSlam memorabilia items include:

The Barb Wire Baseball Bat Ric Flair used in his victory against Mick Foley in the “I Quit” match at SummerSlam 2006 (LOT 23)

The shears Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and Hulk Hogan used in their 1989 match victory against “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Zeus (LOT 24)

The Night Stick Big Boss Man used in his match against Koko B. Ware at SummerSlam 1988 (LOT 25)

The Money in the Bank Briefcase Randy Orton cashed in on Daniel Bryan to become WWE Champion at SummerSlam 2013 (LOT 26)

The Arena Banner used at SummerSlam from 1992-1997 (LOT 27)

The Ring Skirt used at SummerSlam from 1989-1997 (LOT 28)

The Ring Skirt used at SummerSlam in 1998 (LOT 29)

Zelina Vega On Returning To WWE, Developing New Moves and Gear

Following her return to WWE, Zelina Vega sat down with Digital Spy to discuss the reasoning for it.

"More than anything, WWE has always been a place where I felt like I had unfinished business. For me, as a kid, I want to a champion and there are so many things I want to accomplish. Coming back, I set my eyes on the SmackDown Women's Championship. That's what I'm focused on the most and seeing where that takes me. After Bianca vs. Sasha, who knows. Will it be Bianca that remains champion or will it be Sasha? Either one, I'm coming after them and I can't wait for that."

When asked about coming up with new ideas for moves and gear, Vega spoke:

"I had time for both. Sometimes, you do need that mental break. It may not be wrestling, it may be anything. You take your time, revitalize yourself, get refreshed and you can dive back into that creative side of you and think 'what can I do differently?' or 'how can I add to this style to my moveset?' There are a lot of things you'll see now with my outfits, especially my jacket. I feel like I've taken them to a whole new level and how intricate they are and what certain things mean. Who I'm cosplaying and why, there is always a meaning. Then, feeling like I want to add more striking to my moves. As a manager, I never got to add too much of a lucha style to me. Now, I can display that, especially with people like Toni Storm, Bianca, and Sasha. It's cool to mix it up with them and see a whole new side of me."

WWE Releases 12 NXT Superstars

While WWE aired the SmackDown on FOX broadcast, the following names were released – Bronson Reed, Tyler Rust, Bobby Fish, Leon Ruff, Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas, Ari Sterling, Asher Hale, Zechariah Smith, Giant Zanjeer, Kona Reeves, and referee Stephon Smith.

Jim Ross On Critics Who Say Triple H’s Success Is Due To Marrying Stephanie McMahon

“The Masked Assassin” Jody Hamilton Passes Away

“The Masked Assassin” Jody Hamilton has passed away at the age of 82.

Earlier today, it was revealed that Hamilton had entered into hospice care. His son, former WCW/WWE referee Nick Patrick (Joe Hamilton Jr.), made the announcement on Facebook this afternoon, noting that his father passed away at 2:16pm.

“It is with heavy heart that I make this post. At 2:16 today my father took his last breath on this earth. He passed comfortably, surrounded by the people that love him. Now our attention has to shift over to taking care of my mom. I want to thank everyone that sent out prayers and support for my family. I will put more information about pop out, but right now I’m kinda numb,” he wrote.

The legendary Hamilton debuted back in 1955 and worked for numerous promotions throughout his career, has been retired since 1988 after suffering a broken back. He worked behind-the-scenes and in managerial roles for WCW after that, and later as a trainer at the WCW Power Plant.

Hamilton re-launched his Deep South Wrestling promotion in 2005, and that fed operated as a WWE developmental territory until 2007. DSW ceased operations shortly after that, and Hamilton filed a lawsuit against WWE over their working agreement for the developmental territory. The suit was settled out of court in early 2010, but terms were never revealed.

Hamilton was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994, and inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013.

Fans Point Out Bizarre Trend Between Randy Orton, AEW and Released Wrestlers

Ric Flair No Longer With WWE

Wrestling Inc. and Fightful have confirmed that Ric Flair is no longer with the WWE.

According to sources close to the situation, Flair requested the release and it was granted, effective today.

Flair had re-signed with WWE last year. He was recently involved in a relationship angle with Lacey Evans that was ultimately nixed after Evans got legitimately pregnant.

Shane McMahon Announced As Executive Chairman Of Ideanomics

Ideanomics announced Shane McMahon has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Board. Jim Cassano will become the new Vice Chairman.

McMahon has been involved with the company since 2010, and previously served as Vice Chairman. Prior to Ideanomics, McMahon served as Executive Vice President of Global Media for World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., where he oversaw the company’s consumer products, digital media and publishing divisions worldwide as well as all international revenue streams for WWE.

“We recently launched the transformation of Ideanomics as we vertically enter the exciting EV and hydrogen fuel cell space. We now have a powerful management team in place to ensure Ideanomics’ success,” said McMahon. “I’m proud of what the new team has achieved in such a short amount of time and more importantly, I am thrilled for what’s yet to quickly come. I look forward to helping the company’s growth, vision, and momentum stay on track as we enter this new phase for Ideanomics.”

Bray Wyatt Released From WWE

WWE announced Bray Wyatt has been released.

“WWE has come to terms on the release of Bray Wyatt. We wish him the best in all his future endeavors,” WWE wrote.

It was recently reported that WWE was keeping Wyatt off TV for the time being for reasons that were not related to creative.

Wyatt was told by John Laurinaitis that his departure was due to budget cuts, according to F4WOnline. Wyatt is among a string of stars who have been released as of late for the same reason.